I found it interesting that first major point they make, is that
individual contributors should work less on isolated projects and more
in shared infrastructure ("foothills of the Himalayas discussion in
previous message"), and that the second point is that compiler
infrastructures aren't widely available and more effort should be
invested there.

What, the existing ones aren't good enough as a starting place?

Hmpf.

Ira Baxter, CTO
Semantic Designs
[For those of us whose ACM memberships expired a decade ago, what else
does it say? -John]